Venom #150 Review

Eddie Brock is back in the driving seat of the Venom symbiote just in time for an oversized 150th issue, which boasts an exciting main story and a couple of bonus features that are sure to thrill fans.

The plot is a fascinating one that dives deep into the relationship between Eddie Brock and the symbiote. Over the course of his run so far, Mike Costa’s gone to great effort to flesh out the symbiote as a character in its own right, which sets up a fascinating arc, one that proclaims itself as a ‘love story.’ He presents the relationship between Eddie and the symbiote as an abusive relationship, one in which the Venom symbiote attempts to force Brock to be who it wants him to be. What’s more, it’s immediately apparent that the events of Venom #6 have left the symbiote insane, so those desires are… pretty dangerous.

That main story explores Venom’s role in the Marvel Universe, pitting him against a group of tech-thieves – much to Venom’s disgust, when he learns this is all over a genetically modified tomato – and, ultimately, against the Scorpion. The latter encounter is something of a grudge match, given Gargan used to wear the symbiote for a time as well. The more interesting subplot, though, is a troubling one in which Brock heads back to the church where he first bonded with the symbiote and receives advice that the symbiote really doesn’t want him to hear. Needless to say, Venom’s reaction is disturbing indeed.

Eddie Brock may be back, but it’s clear that Mike Costa is still telling the same story. This series of Venom will be all the better for it, too, as we look set to get a fascinating glimpse into the relationship between Eddie Brock and his symbiote. Meanwhile, Tradd Moore’s art is strong, perfectly suited to the concepts he’s working with. The opening pages are beautiful, as is the story’s close.

Venom #150 features two extra stories as well; a short one by Robbie Thompson, which adds a bit more color to his own concepts, and another by David Michelinie. The latter is probably the strongest of the two, as it’s a fun tale that dives back into concepts that Venom fans will remember so well from his run. What’s more, the art – by Ron Lim – is wonderfully old-school, injecting a wonderful sense of nostalgia into the book. Combine this with a cover gallery of the last 149 issues, and it’s clear Marvel is hoping Venom #150 will be the book that draws ’90s-era fans back.

The lens of nostalgia colors everything in Venom #150; it’s essentially a glorified exercise in nostalgia, with Marvel carefully positioning the main character into a version of his classic ’90s status quo. It’s smart timing, too, as we know that next year will see Sony releasing a non-MCU Venom film, one centered upon Tom Hardy’s Eddie Brock. Given that’s the case, I suspect Marvel won’t be separating Eddie from his symiote anytime soon.

If you’re a fan of Venom, this book’s for you; it’s an oversized special that desperately tries to appeal to every old-school fan around. If you’re not interested in the nostalgia, though, then this $5.99 special is unlikely to be worth the cover price.